These Regulations further transpose Article 7 (energy performance certificates), Article 3 (adoption of a methodology) and partially transpose Article 4(3) of Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (“the Directive”) in Scotland. The Directive lays down requirements for the production of energy performance certificates when buildings are to be sold or rented out. The Regulations also provide for the display of certificates in public buildings. The term “building” is defined in Article 2 of the Directive.

Regulation 5 imposes a duty on the owner of a building to make an energy performance certificate available to prospective buyers or tenants where the building is to be sold or let. The requirements of an energy performance certificate are set out in regulation 6.

The Scottish Ministers must approve a method of calculation of the energy performance of buildings and may approve organisations whose members may issue energy performance certificates (regulations 7 and 8).

The owner or occupier of a public building is required, under regulation 9, to ensure that an energy performance certificate is displayed within the building in a place clearly visible to members of the public.

Regulation 10 provides that the Scottish Ministers or a person appointed by them must maintain one or more registers of energy performance certificates, which must be sent to the relevant register before being issued. Regulations 11 to 14 regulate the disclosure of information contained in the register.

Local authorities have powers under regulation 15(2) to enforce the Regulations and under regulation 16 to require production of energy performance certificates. Under regulation 17 a penalty charge notice may be served on owners of buildings who contravene the requirement to make an energy performance certificate available. The penalty is– a £500 for dwellings or buildings ancillary to dwellings; and b £1,000 in any other case.

Regulations 18 and 19 deal with defences to and review of penalty charge notices. Regulation 20 deals with appeals to the sheriff.

Regulation 21 deals with recovery of penalty charges.

Regulation 22 deals with service of documents.

Regulation 23 makes it an offence to obstruct an authorised officer of an enforcement authority or to purport to act as an authorised officer.

A Transposition Note setting out how these Regulations transpose the Directive and a Regulatory Impact Assessment have been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies can be obtained from the Building Standards Division, Directorate for the Built Environment, Ground Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6GA.